Computer architecture refers to both the design of a computer's external interfaces (instruction sets) and a computer's internal implementation (microarchitecture). The goal of these design decisions is to optimize speed, power efficiency, size, or cost while satisfying constraints on the rest.
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What exactly does ARM sell to vendors?
Assumptions:
Computer architecture: Describes how the different modules of a processor interact with each other.
A computer architecture is defined using vhdl ...
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1answer
45 views
What are the (mathematical) restrictions of a TMS320C6713 DSP?
I have a function that computes the sum of even numbers in a Fibonacci sequence less than a boundary.
Should I be worried about this calculation? Can the TMS320C6713 handle it?
When I run the ...
3
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0answers
32 views
Help with multiple receiver channels and single storage architecture
I want to build a datalogger that has multiple receiver channels that run on serial communication protocol RS232 and then collect the information from the channels in a single storage that would be ...
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0answers
17 views
How are lanes managed on PCIe 3.0 controller embedded on recent Xeon processors?
I'm using several PCIe 3.0 extension cards (GPUs and Infiniband interconnects). I'm wondering how lanes are actually managed and if I may optimize my devices by changing ports or by using some ...
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3answers
128 views
Is it possible to replicate the ENIAC using logic gates
Can one rebuild a small scaled model of the original ENIAC computer using only logic gates?
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3answers
126 views
Can you make a CPU out of logic gates
If i solder together enough binary adders, binary subtractors is it possible for it to work like a modern (very very slow) CPU (Such as one found in a graphics calculator).
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2answers
47 views
Building a XOR gate on 3 inputs using only 5 AND/OR/NOT gates
I would like to implement a XOR gate which takes a 3-bit input (in other words, the modulo-2 sum of the input bits) using only 5 ...
19
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7answers
5k views
Is transistor the only electronic component on a CPU?
I have been reading about CPUs recently and came to know that all logical blocks and memory on CPU can be made out of transistors. So is it the only electronic component on CPU?
Edit(Made after first ...
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2answers
103 views
Could a computer technically run without time measurement?
I just asked myself if a computer could technically run without time measurement?
With time measurement I mean the human-invented method to measure season and day/night cycles: a year has 365 ...
20
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4answers
3k views
Why do CPUs typically connect to only one bus?
I found a motherboard architecture here:
This looks to be the typical layout of motherboards. EDIT: Well, apparently it's not so typical anymore.
Why does the CPU connect to only 1 bus? That ...
3
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5answers
257 views
Power increase causing voltage drop
I am a software engineer and I came across this article which states
If a processor attempts to draw more power than a power supply system can provide (by drawing more current than the system can ...
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1answer
80 views
Is there any Static Hazard?
I read about Static Hazard. We know Static 1-hazard is: Input change causes output to go from 1 to 0 to 1.
My note covers a Circuit as follows:
My notes says: When ...
0
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1answer
81 views
Confused what computer architecture is in real [closed]
I am quite sure that this is a question which will be marked as "primarily opinion-based" but I would still like to ask it here only as you do not get so many intellectual, experienced and skilled ...
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1answer
52 views
Understanding computer organisation and architecture [closed]
What are some of the user friendly books for "computer organisation and architechture" which are best for self study. Such a text that one can grasps the big picture, and understandhow various things ...
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2answers
68 views
Why cant absolute delays be used in ASIC?
Verilog allows the definition of absolute delays when modelling hardware but the ASIC synthesizer will strip these out. Why does it do this?
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3answers
175 views
How can a powersupply have a large input volt range
I see that computer power supplies that can take a voltage input of anything between 90V and 260V at a frequency between 47Hz and 63Hz.
Meanwhile it can output power at a very precise voltage.
How ...
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4answers
136 views
direct mapping cache question
I have been doing the question below in what I thought was the correct way. After doing some more reading I am now slightly confused and would appreciate some clarification. Previously I was just ...
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1answer
33 views
solving pipelining data hazards using stalls
I have a question about fixing data hazards in a pipelined datapath using stalls. I have read slightly varying things on this. Some lectures I have found put the instruction decode (ID) in the same ...
0
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1answer
20 views
Exclusive execution unit in pipeline stage for execution of memory access instructions
I was studying pipeline concept in microarchitecture. My professor told me that memory read and write operations take longer time to execute since DRAM has a maximum frequency of 1333Mhz. Hence, when ...
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1answer
81 views
Where is the control, address and data bus in a computer
So have been reading up on data buses, address buses and control buses and I understand what they do, but am confused about where they can physically be found. Some books/sites I have found state that ...
2
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2answers
500 views
What is the difference between full and partial address decoding?
Could someone please explain the difference between full address decoding and partial address decoding?
I am reading the chapter on digital logic in "Structured Computer Organization", 6th ed. by ...
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1answer
137 views
Design an 8x4 memory chip using 2x1 memory chips? [duplicate]
I have been given this task to design a single 8x4 memory chip using only 2x1 memory chips. I have been searching everywhere on google for some decent information or example of how this is done, but ...
1
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1answer
127 views
Do registers have a multiplexer?
We are learning about general purpose shift registers.
My professor draws them with like multiplexers connected to the D's of each flip flop. So in an example of a register with a 4 bit input and ...
0
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1answer
75 views
Error-Detecting Code and ASCII Character Code?
As ASCII character code uses seven bit to encode 128 characters and most computers manipulate an eighth-bit quantity as one byte and ASCII characters are stored one per eight bit, and an additional ...
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1answer
269 views
How many nibbles?
The question reads:
You know a byte is 8 bits. We call a 4 bit-quantity a nibble.If a byte-addressable memory has a 14-bit address, how many nibbles of storage are in this memory?
My answer:
Now I ...
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1answer
118 views
Interfacing RAM to a DIY computer
I am a relatively newbie to electronics but hopefully this question is not very non sensical:
I am following a guide to build a 8 bit computer. The guide requires a RAM which has a 4 address bit and ...
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1answer
99 views
How some bits are turned on while others remain off
How does the computer turns physically different bits on and off?
I mean that the electricity flows to the transistors in order to turn them on or off but there are many transistors so what part in ...
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2answers
122 views
Does the databus size matter for determining the range of the memory addresses?
If you have byte addressable memory, does it matter if you have a 32 bit or 64 bit databus for the range of the memory addresses for the words of the memory?
E.g.
: Assume a 32-bit word. If you have ...
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0answers
60 views
Operator synthesis VHDL, numeric_std.vhd
if i include the library numeric_std.vhd
(the implementation is here https://standards.ieee.org/downloads/1076/1076.2-1996/numeric_std-body.vhdl) you can see that the operator *,+ (as instance are ...
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1answer
147 views
How to relate memory address to physical components in RAM?
I am trying to understand how are the micro-scale components arranged to relay address information to the Operating system software.
What are the components that make up the ram which actually ...
2
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1answer
233 views
What multi/many-core (micro)processors/controllers should I use for “embarrassingly parallel” computations? [closed]
This is my first question ever on this site, so I hope I don't mess this up. :D
I'll try to be as specific as possible.
What I need:
Something that I can program in C (or a C-like language).
I ...
0
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3answers
121 views
How are alphabetic characters programmed into a computer?
I'm no cs student, I'm a programmer. I have a couple of questions and a few assumptions that I will make here (correct me if I'm wrong please).
From my understanding is that all the sequences of 1 ...
0
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0answers
59 views
When designing a processor for a particular application, how does one determine the instruction set?
When processor is designed specifically for lets say graphics application and I am sure there are other examples, the instruction set of the processor is designed to contain specific instructions that ...
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1answer
102 views
How much faster would optical computation be?
If (when) we could figure out a way to do computations with light as opposed to electrons within circuits, how much faster would our computers be?
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2answers
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Are neuromorphic computers considered digital computers?
This might be a pretty simple question, but I am wondering if neuromorphic computers using non Von Neumann architectures such as the IBM TrueNorth chip are still considered digital computers.
I have ...
0
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2answers
61 views
How can you have immediates in the SUBLEQ one instruction computer?
I'm thinking about making a SUBLEQ based CPU on FPGA. SUBLEQ (subtract and branch if less than or equal to zero) is an instruction which is universal. However, how can you have immediates/constants ...
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2answers
81 views
Is it OK to use the USB 5v pin as power source?
I am doing some stuff in my case and I need a power source for one LED from inside my case.
I looked up and there are two +5v pins on a USB header inside my case. Is it OK to use them as power ...
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0answers
75 views
find cache hit rate for direct mapped cache memory
I have this practice exam problem which I am having trouble with. I have gone over many slides but haven't been able to really get it. The question is
I currently have an 8 block main memory with ...
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1answer
141 views
single cycle vs multicycle datapath execution times
I have a question where I need to calculate the execution time for a program for single cycle and multicycle datapath. I think I may be doing it incorrectly since the multicycle execution time is ...
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2answers
188 views
Are only word sizes used as structural elements in machine computation?
Research:
I have been looking for some time online. everything i know in-fact.
ive liked sparse matrix representations, i have found gate level sharing optimization after 'formula reduction' and ...
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1answer
85 views
Two dimensional 512 byte (byte addressable) RAM from 16 byte chips
Assume it is decided to design a two dimensional 512 byte (byte addressable) RAM from 16 byte chips. Each of the 16 byte chips has two select-lines. The chip is enabled only if both of the ...
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1answer
475 views
multicycle datapath vs single cycle datapath
I have a fairly simple question but have not been able to find a good answer googling.
I understand how pipelining works by having 1 cycle per step, each instruction takes 5 cycles and they start ...
10
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4answers
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How many clock cycles does a RISC/CISC instruction take to execute?
According to Digital Design and Computer Architecture by Harris and Harris, there are several ways to implement a MIPS processor, including the following:
The single-cycle microarchitecture ...
0
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1answer
58 views
is it possible to mix chipsets
I'm designing a home made game console motherboard, and want to integrate the ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 GPU in it. The problem is, the Northbridge I picked only supports PCI Express, and the GPU uses ...
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1answer
306 views
What is happening in the diagram of LC3?
This is a diagram of the LC3 Computer
I am trying to understand what is happening in the parts I highlighted. The part I had highlighted had the instruction bit sign extended to 16 bits and then ...
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3answers
104 views
Benefit of (logically/virtually) separate I/O and memory bus
In my course on embedded systems, it is explained that memory inputs can be separated from I/O inputs using a "mode bit" for the address decoder. The most obvious advantage of this is that the amount ...
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1answer
58 views
Simple Mux Equation finding, need help?
How we can find the equation of following simple diagram ?
My TA solved it as : C.Not(B).A + B.Not(A)
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3answers
131 views
Is it possible to simulate hardware of MIPS architecture computer defined using Verilog/VHDL?
I am reading Digital Design and Computer Architecture book and if I will be persistent then I will have MIPS architecture computer at the end, implemented from scratch by me .
I wonder is it ...
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1answer
341 views
Micro and Nano Memory, Calculate Reducing Bits?
I ran into a question:
in digital system with micro-programmed control circuit, total of 32 distinct pattern operation signal is ...
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1answer
31 views
Which are the spec bits in this cache?
I have a direct mapped cache of size S with the line size L. The cache is physically indexed and tagged. The physical address is 50 bits, numbered from 0 to 49 (with 0 being the least significant ...
